Finding Neverland
by tardisinpigfarts
Summary: Emma, Hook, Mary Margaret, David and Regina went to Neverland to find Henry just by a help from an old book fairytale book about Neverland. They must lead an adventure they've never met before. And will Emma finally trust Hook completely regardless of her feeling for him?
1. Chapter 1: Second Star to the Right

**_A/N:_** **This is my very first ouat fic, but not the first fic I wrote. And my native language isn't English so please bear with me. I'm also looking for a beta out there who's willing to fix and share some wonderful ideas for this story.**

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Emma stepped into the ship's deck, letting her mind out of worrying Henry. The cold wind pricked her skin although she already wore her thick black jacket since she sailed from Storybrooke. But there's no time for complaining the temperature, all of her thoughts were fixated on Henry. She was sure finding that boy in Neverland won't be a walk in the park. Especially with two humankind like Greg and Tamara. She sunked herself in the one-sided chair, stared in the sky into nothing.

"Swan." A familiar manly voice emerged behind her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Emma turned to meet him. It was Hook, standing in the door entrance going into the deck. Emma glanced at him with annoyance, "What? Is it forbidden or something if I'm here?" She asked, though she didn't care.

He walked towards Emma noiselessly, he didn't find her company tonight would be a danger to him. "It's not usual a princess still awake in the middle of the night. _On _a pirate ship." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms around her torso. She was not expecting to have a sudden guest tonight. "I guess I consider myself not a princess." A coldness drew across her eyes.

He continued his remarkable smirk, "Well, it's perfectly fine you're here_._"

"Good." She answered shortly, twisting his head back facing the sky. Another presence in here isn't what she was exactly hoping for. But she secretly wished she wasn't all alone tonight.

He lifted his gaze at the night sky too, trying to find what Emma's looking. But he found nothing in the sky but a dark cloud covered the moonlight. "What's up there? Nothing special catches my eye."

Emma stayed silent, and turned her head to meet his eyes. "What's your problem if I look into nothing, anyway?" She answered, annoyed by his curiousness.

"Slow down, lass. I'm only asking."

She exhaled a breath, and stared back to the sky. Her face pinched in concentration in gazing at the sky. She was looking for something that will lead her to a place, where Henry is. "I'm looking for the second star."

"You knew about that? I'm impressed." He smirked as he raised one of his eyebrows. "You'd make a hell of a pirate."

Emma scoffed after hearing his reply. "It's on a children's book. Everyone who reads books would know that."

"Neverland in a book? I would like to see it." He grimaced with one eye, curious about the interesting book myth she's talking about. "What they said about me, huh? A charming pirate that captivates the women?"

"Believe me, you're not gonna want to read it." She stated, "And besides, the book doesn't exist in here."

"Emma!" a soft toned voice came from the door. Emma and Hook found Mary Margaret staring horrifically at them. "What are you doing here so late? I was so worried you're not in your room."

"I can take care of myself, Mary Margaret. You can go back to sleep, I'm fine here."

The skin around her eyes drew tight as she studied the reason Emma crept here in the middle of the night, "Emma, are you worrying about Henry?"

"Yeah something like that." Emma muttered. "He's the first thing I took responsibility of."

Mary Margaret looked attentively at her daughter. She already knows the feeling of losing her own child a long time ago. It was the worst feeling she ever known. "I know there is little chance that we will succeed in finding Henry. Nevertheless, it is important that we try."

Her hands slowly patted Emma's shoulder, trying to comfort her. "And that boy is a miracle, Emma. You'll find him. You'll always find him."

Emma gave her mother a small beam. That words sounded like something came from a storybook. But she realized now, she's not in her normal world. Believing on that wouldn't hurt, right? "I hope it's true. I just, don't want him to grow up the way I did."

She knew her words could hurt her mother, but it's the truth. Her childhood is lonely and miserable, without a speck of love. Mary Margaret stared at her daughter truthfully, although she was still taken aback from Emma's word. "I understand. We will not let Henry be all alone."

Emma gave her a sly nod in response, and stared the dull sky back. She was looking for something, Mary Margaret sure of it. Then she suddenly turned around to see if Hook was looking at them or not. Turned out he was busy straightening up a bunch of ropes on the other side. "Actually I want to talk to you about something David and I found in this ship." Mary Margaret whispered.

"And… what is that?"

"Um, not here, Emma. Pretty risky." She leered at Hook's direction. "But you should get some sleep, in case tomorrow we'll land on Neverland."

"You go first, I'll catch up." She assured. Mary Margaret nodded and went back inside of the ship. Hook, who had been kept off, moved to approach Emma. "You miss Henry, I presume." He said in a serious tone, different than the one he used before. "How did you find him in Storybrooke?"

He could see her face still closed in thought of something he already noticed, finding her son, "All that I know, it's none of your business."

"Maybe that could help us to find him." He added. "Why are you still afraid to trust me after all this time, princess?"

Emma didn't say anything. Her mind was lost in the plain night sky that seemed to darken everytime she shift her sight, with the cold ocean wind blowing her face occasionally. "You should be used to people not trusting you. You're a pirate and nothing more." She muttered. A part of herself regretted for saying that. She had seen Hook care about others. But she assured herself that he's still a pirate. "And don't ever call me that again."

Hook was a bit taken aback with her reply. He was tired of people not trusting him just because others said so. "Yes, the pirate thing. But you know I'm different from the other pirates, Swan." He smirked, "Not every pirate would take some strangers sailed his ship to another land just to find a kid, and not for my benefit."

She wrinkled the skin over his eyebrows, looking askance at him. All of these seemed a nonsense to her. The reason she agreed to a sudden pirate offer that day is just because she was panicking if she's never meet her son again. She's not even thinking what is behind the mask of Hook. "Why are you doing this?"

"Swan—"

"There must be a particular reason why you're helping us in sudden, Hook." Emma concluded blatantly, "Because as far as I know, trusting a pirate is a perilous way."

"Yet at the end of the day, you don't have any choice but to trust me, miss Swan."He gave her a coy smile, "Chiefly if you want to survive in Neverland."

Emma let out a long breath before she stood up and leave. She was too tired to argued with him tonight, "I probably should get some sleep."

"You should." He grinned, "And you know the place if you wanted help to do it."

"No, don't even think about it." Emma stepped through the door and left Hook by himself in the deck. Hook silently watched the girl moved away, leaving him without saying goodbye. Just in a moment, Hook gazed back to the sky and found two stars gleaming in the dull, dark night sky, the stars Emma has been looking for.

"Oh Emma, I wish you could see."


	2. Chapter 2 : The Plan

"Emma, we've arrived in Neverland." Mary Margaret jounced Emma who was still in the bed.

Emma squinted at the sun rays coming from the small window facing her bed. Yes, they finally arrived in the place where Greg and Tamara took Henry. "About last night, I want to tell you about something. Something belongs to Hook."

"What is that?"

"We found a bottle of fairy dust in our room's cupboard." Mary Margaret said carefully. "It's very rare nowadays to get fairy dusts."

"Maybe he stole it back then." Emma answered flatly.

"Yes, but for what?" Mary Margaret added.

They were both silent, not knowing the answer to the question. Emma looked to the window and found Captain Hook with his crew, working. "Maybe it's not our business to meddle, Mary Margaret. Just leave it like that."

Mary Margaret sighed and looked at Emma, "Or maybe we shouldn't trust him in the first place, Emma."

Emma stood up and grabbed her red leather jacket from the hanger. She was wavering about trusting Hook at the beginning, too. "But we're already here with his help, so, I think we have to trust him."

"Yeah, you're right." Mary Margaret smiled proudly in reply, she's proud her daughter began to do the goodness. As she was when she was little. "Let's go meet David in the land." Mary Margaret led Emma to exit the room and went to the front section ship, where Hook, his crew and David were.

"Found anything interesting, Captain?" Emma asked as she casually slipped her hand through the armhole of her red jacket.

Hook held his telescope inside his hand. "I just happened to land this ship near the Mermaid's Lagoon. According to the name, there are lots of evil mermaids here."

"Yeah, I know, I read the book." Emma muttered.

"You made it sound more interesting, darling. Maybe you should bring the book to me sometime." Hook grinned. He really interested in that book. A legend that said there was a story book about Neverland echoed in his head. "You've got a plan?"

Emma stayed silent awhile to think. "Um, no plans." Then she realized someone is missing from this ship. "Where is Regina?"

"She left early because waiting for you to wake up is too long." Mary Margaret said with a concerned expression on her face. "And she wanted to find Henry alone."

A satisfied smile crossed in Emma's lips. Somehow she felt disappointed but also happy at the same time. "If Regina wanted solo, then we can do our plan smoothly."

"What's the plan? You said there is no plan." Hook grumbled.

"We could just search by the forest near here, ah, that forest over there." David pointed a dark forest opposite the ship. Hook shook his head as soon as he saw it.

"Well, that forest you just picked there is quite dangerous." Hook explained in a serious tone. "And if you want to explore that forest, it would take weeks."

"So, it's dangerous and very broad? It has possibilities that Henry was there." Emma concluded.

Mary Margaret gave her a dazed look. "Why is that?"

"If you hide your abduction to a safe place that isn't hidden, you will easily get found."

Hook smiled smugly at her, liking her brave choice. "Point taken. Now, which one of you will take this adventure with me?"

"You can't go there alone. We'll come with you." Mary Margaret said to Emma.

"No, no. Too much people entering the forest may attract unwanted attention. I'm afraid, I can only take one of you to enter it." Hook shortly dismissed the idea as he slowly gazed to Emma. He knew she is the one who's the most motivated.

"I'll go with you." David immediately uttered. "And sincerely, if you try to betrayed us in any way, I'll shoot you in the face."

"_I_ will go." Emma interrupted. "You have to protect Mary Margaret and the ship while I'm gone, in case Tamara and Greg found it."

A calmness on Mary Margaret's face faded in seconds. She was still not willing to release her own daughter after being separated for more than twenty years. Not a single day went past when she didn't regret of leaving her by her own, although she did it for good."I won't let you be separated with me again!" Mary Margaret shouted. "You know how grateful I am that we're still together 'til this time, Emma."

"I will be back, I promise." Emma said, trying to calm her mother down. "And you can go to the village, finding information as many as you can to help you finding Greg and Tamara."

David stared at Hook who's now casually slouched at the ship's pole. "Hook, we trust you to take care of our daughter, Emma. So please don't waste it into nothing."

"In that case, I can't promise that." Hook replied in deadpan. David's eyes went vicious instantly, but Hook still casually leaned on the pole.

David that lose his temper, quickly grabbed him by the collar and he strangled him tightly. "What are you saying?!"

"David." Emma reprimanded. She was a bit peeved sometimes at his father overprotective to her.

"Hey, what if she hurts herself, huh? I can't do anything about it." Hook tried to shrug it off, but David was too strong. After a moment David loosened the strangle and left Hook slumped on the floor, breathlessly.

"If something happened to Emma, I promise the crocodile won't be the only one who's hunting you down, Hook." David pulled out the sword from his belt and he gave it to Emma. Emma stood in awe staring at David's sword. "Emma, bring this. This is my sword that had defeated dragon, giant, and ogres. You can use it to protect yourself."

She held the sword in her hand and she stared down the shiny weapon in admiration. "Wow, this legendary sword? Thank you, David."

"In this world we're slaves to time, lad." Hook said, interrupting them. "Tick tock goes the clock."

Emma looked at both of her parents. She felt quite hard to be separated with them again, and she's afraid she can't go back to them or Henry. But she entrusted faith, and she believes that the man beside her will bring her to the happy ending she deserves.

"You're ready, lass?" Hook asked as they both walked down the ship's stairs.

"I'm so ready."

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_**A/N:** Something good ahead! Thanks to **Yoippari's **again for helping me fixing stuff. Review & constructive criticism always appreciated._


	3. Chapter 3: First Journey

"Do you actually know where we are heading?" Emma asked Hook, the admitted leader of the pack.

Hook smiled smugly in reply. He found it's funny how Emma didn't trust a pirate on knowing the route in Neverland. "I have pirate instinct, darling. I know Neverland like the back of my, well, you know." he lifted his left hand that had been replaced by a hook.

She shared a weak grin, "So, where is our destination?"

Hook stopped walking and looked around them. He placed his hand on a tree in front of Emma. Emma stared at him oddly. "A safe place, probably. We need to rest, the sky will get dark soon." He said.

"I don't have time to rest." She said, "I need to get back to David and Mary Margaret with Henry as fast as I could."

He grinned, "You're a tough lass. But I've made a promise to your father that you will be scatheless."

Emma rolled her eyes and continued walking. Her hand clenched tightly as she strolled past Hook. She found it's strange how she still isn't used to people putting her first. "I _will _be safe."

"As you wish."

They continued walking to another way in the forest. Now the forest looked a bit different from the first way, it has older oak tree in the way. "Well, you haven't properly told me about this Henry kid. How did he find you?" Hook asked, out of the blue.

Emma's stare fixed on him for awhile, puzzled if she should tell him or not. Trusting someone new is a hard thing for her. She doesn't want another Neal thing in her life, or even anything remotely like it. Emma exhaled a breath, "It's a long story. But the short version is, he found me from a book. A book about fairytale stories and characters."

"That book you've always mentioned?" Hook asked.

"No, it's a different one. The story is about the Enchanted Forest's past before Regina casted the curse."

Hook scratched his brow, "Not a clue where I could find from that story to find Henry here. But the book you've mentioned about Neverland, does it even exist?"

"Yes, in my world. But my world ain't Neverland." She answered.

"I've once heard someone said there's a book about Neverland's past here. Maybe someone brought it by mistake from your world." Hook explained. "We need to find that book at least. I want to make sure of something."

Emma was startled by his words. How is this finding Henry trip changed purpose to a finding Neverland's history book trip. She somehow knew that trusting him will lead her to be betrayed yet again. "The purpose we went to Neverland is to find Henry. Not for your book-finding trip!" She protested as she stopped walking in front of him.

"I'm not saying we're changing the purpose, darling." He stated calmly and continued walking as though there's nothing he should worried about.

Emma stopped her pace and pulled out her sword, pointing it to Hook all of the sudden. This is what she should be from a very long time. She almost trust him completely when he sailed back to Storybrooke with the bean. But this is far too risky for her. One step she did wrong in Neverland, she'll never find Henry.

Hook moved back a few steps until his back was touching the rugged skin of the tree behind him. "You're using me, Hook." Emma said in a ruthless way.

"Stop pointing it at me, will ya?" Hook responded. "This doesn't make it any better. Because you don't trust me."

"Why should I trust someone who betrayed me once?" She said with a vicious voice.

"If I'm not wrong, you also betrayed me in the giant's place." Hook corrected as he cocked his head slightly to one side, "You _abandoned_ me there with the possibility of death. It's conscionable that I betrayed you that time."

Emma pointed the sword closer to his throat. "And this time too, huh?" She said, arching her eyebrows. "You haven't satisfied to revenge me, have you?"

A thin wrinkle on his forehead straightened up. His gaze changed, now more serious than before. "Actually, no." He said. Emma gradually distanced the sword away and his hook diverted the sword from pointing at him. "I'm nothing but a pirate, is that what you think?"

"It's the truth." Emma said, slowly sliding the sword back to its place.

"No, the truth is, you haven't had enough trust in me to make you looked deeply at me." Hook said in a serious tone. Emma's jaw muscles jumped as she considered his words. She has never seen Hook this serious before, with a deep demanding voice.

Emma took a deep breath. She decided to focus on the purpose rather than listening to the pirate's babble. "Let's just find Henry. And go home."

"You're relishing this aren't you?" Hook gave her a sardonic smile. "Threaten people at will."

Her face didn't change a bit, she still leered coldly at him. "Bad things tend to happen to bad people. Don't blame me if something like that happened to you."

Hook, that had been beside Emma, stopped his track in sudden. "Just because I'm a pirate, doesn't mean I'm as wicked as a witch."

Emma just continued walking the forest. She didn't to hear any word he said to make her feel sorry for him. "Shut the babbling, Hook. I've seen enough of everything."

"No, you _haven't_seen everything, darling." He muttered as his foot set its track again.

A few moments later, Hook's prediction played out. The sky was getting darker, so did their vision. Emma fumbled around in case a tree would suddenly appear before her. Hook suddenly wrapped his hand around hers. Emma felt a warmth feeling transferred to her body. She wanted to let it go, but at the same time, she didn't want to get lost in the darkness.

"Pirate perks. You still can see through really dark conditions." Hook explained.

Emma barely see anything in front of her—everything was a vague because of the night fog, or smoke that only god knows where it came from. "Why is it so dark here? No moon or even any stars at all?"

"It's because of the night mist. And this section is particularly known for its dark creatures. There's no reason to hesitate to holding my hand if you're terrified."

For the first time Emma decided not to dismiss Hook's tease. He's right, if she lost her grip, she would be lost in this dark condition. After they both strolled past a huge tree, Emma felt someone held her other hand.

"Hook, it's not necessary to hold both of my hands." She demanded with annoyance.

Hook looked at her puzzledly. "I'm not holding your other hand. Don't you forget I only have one hand?"

For a moment Emma felt a shiver ran down her spine. How could she completely forgot Hook's only hand is holding her now. "If it's not you… then who?"

Hook turned his head to see what's behind Emma. He saw a blur figure of a dark creature perching right behind her. "Emma." He warned. In a quick movement, he dragged Emma behind him and pulled his old sword up.

Emma, still not seeing anything other than a dark fog in front of them was confused. "What is it? What's in there?"

"It's a fog creature. It can get you lost in the forest if you walk passed it." He said as he swung his sword to the fog, but it didn't do anything better.

Her surrounding is still fuzzy to her but she can see what hook was doing with the thick fog in front of them. "And what are you doing with that sword?"

"Just trying to tear them apart." He said, "Move, Emma!"

Emma moved further back with Hook still facing the fog. "Why isn't it gone yet?!" He grunted. As the fog came towards them, his sword fell into the fog. The fog then grew darker, indicating that something, something _unpleasant_ was inside.

"Run!" Hook exclaimed as he grabbed Emma's hand, but she refused it.

"It's useless. The fog will chase us in no time. Use my sword." She pulled her sword out and gave it to Hook. But he refused to take it.

"You are the rightful owner of that legendary sword, I can't use it."

"But I can't see!" she shouted in reply. "There's no need to be a gentleman if we're in a dreadful danger!"

In sudden Emma could feel her back was pressed tightly against his torso. There was barely even air between their distance. She turned her head and found Hook already held her hand that gripped the sword. "I'll handle your hand, and do exactly what I command."

The fog was getting closer to them. Emma swung her sword forcefully, just secretly hoping she wouldn't damage anymore of Hook's limbs or worse, hit herself with it. With Hook's help of guidance behind her, the sword perforated the fog and slowly it started to vanish. "Keep going until it's completely gone." Hook commanded.

After the dark fog finally disappeared, Hook stayed in that position awhile, letting his mind memorized every feeling when his presence was closed to her, before he loosened Emma from his handle. "Well that was an adventure." A playful smile curved his lips, "I don't mean to upset you, lass. But I think we make quite a team again."

Emma, who was still out of breath couldn't help but smile back in response. For the first time again, she finally started to trust someone new. "Let's find Henry."

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**Review?**


	4. Chapter 4: The Book is Real

After a long way entering the forest, with the sky still was getting dark, they found a neglected hut. Emma walked towards the hut, studying it. "Somebody used to live in this dark forest?"

"A long time ago, the fairies made this place for the lost boys. They used to play here before Peter Pan came." Hook said.

"We can use it as a temporary resting place. What do you think?" Emma asked Hook.

"Now you finally need a rest. I couldn't say no to keeping yourself secure." Hook replied.

Emma stared at him for a moment before she finally got what he means. "Yeah, I don't want any fog eating me tonight either."

They walked into the hut, and found that everything in that place is almost destroyed. The bed was left untidy, the table was reversed, and the cupboard along with its contents was almost torn apart. Barely anything was intact. "What the hell happened here?" The shocked Emma asked Hook who was standing beside the door. "I thought it was their playground or something."

"I said _before _Peter Pan came." He corrected. "He affected them so much and tore them apart, so they became his accomplices all over Neverland. Finding lost boys and bring 'em to him."

"What did he do with them? I didn't know Peter Pan could be this bad." Emma looked at him in disbelief.

"I have no idea. But it wouldn't be our concern. Well, I will find something to eat while you rest safely here."

"Where are you going?" Emma inquired impulsively. She felt somewhat afraid if it turns out Hook will betray her and leave her to mend herself in a hut in the middle of a mysterious forest. She almost forgot, it has been a long time since she has a real meal. But deep inside, she doesn't want to be left alone.

"Somewhere that has something we can eat. You don't want to die of starvation before you could find Henry, do you?" He asked.

"I just—, fine. Make it quick."

Hook stepped closer to Emma and looked right at her green eyes, "I promise I _will_ be back."

For a moment Emma was worried, but now she finally has faith in him. Emma nodded in reply, and Hook walked out the door. Emma sat carefully on a fragile wooden bench, and let herself fall asleep as the heavy wind suddenly blew around their surroundings.

~o~

"Bad timing." Hook thought to himself. He hoofed through the wind, picking up some safe fruits from a tree and put it inside his shoulder bag. After he picked quite a lot for their needs, He turned back to the hut's way but a teenage boy wearing an old and worn-in robe perching on top of a tree caught his attention.

"Gotcha." He said as he shot a bow aiming at Hook and exactly hit his right shoulder.

Hook fell down and winced in pain. "Do you think you can get away from The Lost Boys Hook?" One of the Lost Boys settled from the tree and looked down at Hook who was injured badly lying down on the ground.

"I don't remember the day I—Aah. Bloody hell." Hook shrieked in pain when the boy pulled the dart from his shoulder ruthlessly.

"Wasting my stock," the boy said as he putted the dart back to his bag. "The fact that you sailed back here from your enormous journey is striking _his_ attention, Captain."

A deep crease appeared on his forehead, how could his attendance in Neverland heard by _him,_ "It has nothing to do with you _or _with him."

"Where is that boy?" He still asked, giving him a short side-glance.

Hook was always getting annoyed if the Lost Boys ask him about the person they're looking for. It's not like he always knew whoever came to Neverland. "I don't have any idea about any boy you're interested in." He said, trying to get up, but the weight of his shadow was enough to drag him back down.

"Where is _Henry_?" He demanded as he kicked Hook's injured shoulder, preventing him to move.

Hook was surprised to hear Henry's name. The one kid of someone he care, Emma. His jaw muscles clenched in the thought of he wanted Henry, "What do you want with him?"

"I think you meant, what does _he _want with him?" The boy corrected. "I bet you already know what he will do to people who lie to him Captain. He will _rip_ your shadow right from your body."

"I gather it hurts." Hook grinned.

"Oh yes, it does. You better tell me, or I'll shoot you from this distance, and you'll be dead in seconds before _he_ could even rip your shadow." He said as he pulled his bow and pointed it right at Hook's chest.

"Is that the best you can do, kid?" He tied his hook to the bow and tried with all of the power he had left to throw it up to the air. The boy tried to punch him, but he dismissed it with his hook immediately. "You go now or my hook will crush you until it penetrates your bones. Trust me, you don't want that to happen."

The boy ran in fear to the deep forest. The still wounded Hook tried to stand up as he dust the remains of the fallen leaves off his coat. He slouched his body a bit to grab his handle of his bag on his shoulder and slowly walked towards the hut.

Emma who was asleep in the wooden bench woke up immediately after Hook came back. She felt grateful her belief in him didn't turn into crap. "Hey, beautiful." Hook tried to walk as normal as possible to cover up his pain from the wound.

"What did you find?" She asked, taking his bag off from him.

"Some magical fruits. And it's safe so you can eat it freely." He said as he threw himself to the bench. His head leans on the bench's back limply.

Emma started eating the fruits and jammed herself into a damaged dining table's chair in front of Hook. Then she realized something's wrong from him. She began to study Hook's presence slowly, from his head to his toe. Hook used to be this firm, and dauntless pirate who has nothing to fear. But now he just leaned weakly on the bench, doing nothing.

"You're not eating?" Emma asked.

Hook shook his head, "I must let a princess eat it first. But leave some for me."

"Are you okay?" She finally said it. "You looked a bit different."

He managed a weak smile and approached Emma to the dining table. "Am I? Do we have any rum left, lass?"

"None, I think. Do you want to drink instead of eat?" Then her mind remembered one thing, there's no way Hook would ask for a rum before he eats something except when he's hurt. She carefully scanned his, looking for something wrong that would cause his odd behaviour. And she spotted a large wound on his right shoulder still freshly bleeding.

"Hook, are you injured?" Emma asked, her voice wavered in concern. She moved closer to him and tried to look at it. "Let me take a l—"

"No, it's fine." He shrugged off.

"No, it's not!"

A strain of memories flashed back through Emma's mind, beanstalk moments that she always remembered. The way Hook binded her hand's cut. Hook was right, you never forget your first beanstalk. "Monsters can smell blood." Emma replayed Hook's words from the beanstalk. He grinned in the memory of that.

"We don't have anything with us to cure it, though." Hook said, narrowing his eyes.

Emma looked at him, slightly perturbed. He's right, nothing in here could help her heal his wound. "I should find a natural remedy out there."

Hook held Emma's hand, preventing her from leaving. "No, don't ever go there without a Captain."

Hook's right, she thought. She barely knew places in Neverland, and she can't go there finding natural remedy in the forest alone. "Okay, maybe there was something left here." Emma searched for something useful around the hut. She opened the drawers, cupboards and boxes but she couldn't find anything but rubbish from the old stuff.

But her eyes caught an old deformed box in the bottom of a bed. She took it outside and opened it carefully. She was hoping for a first aid kit, but turned out it was a book. An aged book titled, 'Neverland and other stories.'

"Hook." She called him. "I found something. It's a book." Emma said with a jittery tone on her voice. Could it be the book Hook had mentioned of ?

Hook approached Emma, and she showed it to him. "Is it the book you're looking for?"

He tried to feel the book by his right hand as he bear the pain from the wound. The cover of the book felt rough and meddle fragile, it truly seemed like a book that was lost in time.

He smiled in a satisfaction, "Aye, it is."

Emma brought the book to the table, and they turned the page from the very beginning.


	5. Chapter 5: Faith

_**A/N:** _**So_, _I already wrote this for a long time but never found the right time to publish it since I was on an exam week. Then after the exam is over, I completely forgot about it. But thanks for the reviews. Keep them coming so I won't delay the update again :)**

**Thanks to my bestie for helping me writing this chapter. She's on tumblr - starkslight, be sure to make a visit.  
**

**P.S. English is not our native language so please bear with us.**

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Chapter 5: Faith

David found his wife pacing back and forth in the ship's deck. He knew she was very worried about their daughter and grandson. It's an almost impossible thing to do, trying to find someone in a big mysterious land they barely know anything about. With an enemy that even Gold should be feared. But he knew for sure, Emma will never fail to find her son. Just like he always found Mary Margaret and Emma.

David came towards her and stopped her from her walk, "She'll find him, Mary Margaret. I'm sure of it. And they will be okay."

Her eyes turned up to see David, he couldn't help but feeling sad when he saw those brown eyes glistened with pain. "How do you know?"

"I have faith," David said, putting his hand to her shoulder, transferring his warmth to her. "And I hope you have it too."

Mary Margaret nodded in reply, she found a spark of hope from her husband word. "Right then, let's go to the village and try to collect information."

They left the ship and decided to explore the village. If they collected some information about Greg and Tamara here, it would make them closer to finding Henry. The chances are small, but trying wouldn't hurt, right? The nearest village in Neverland was not very far from the place Jolly Roger landed. Just a few miles away and they found a small fishing village on the opposite direction.

At a glance it reminded them about Storybrooke. But when they walked closer to it, the two places couldn't be more different from each other. The style of the place was very old fashioned. The streets was simple and silent as if no one even dare to walk on it. And the buildings didn't look as strong as the modern buildings in Storybrooke. "I don't see why Greg and Tamara brought Henry here." David said, studying the village's condition.

"Maybe there is another purpose they took Henry other than destroying the magic." Mary Margaret said.

David scrunched his eyebrows and turned to look at Margaret's expression. Her face was very serious. "Then, what else could it be?" He asked.

"It's worse than that." Her eyes lit up, David saw a fire that wasn't there before. She knew Greg and Tamara's plan had changed. And they involved her beloved family. "Whatever that is, I won't let them did it to Henry. Ever."

~o~

Emma turned the first page of the book, carefully as not to break the fragile pages of it. The first page led her to a chapter titled, The Lost Boys. She started to read it with Hook beside her. Before a single word came from her mouth, his hand was already on her shoulder. She could feel the warmth from his hand through the fabric of her red leather jacket, and somehow she was already comfortable with it.

But when she turned to see him, in front of her was not the confident Hook with his legendary sly smile, no. Hook's face was pale with pain. She shifted her eyes to his shoulder, moving closer to see if she had missed a crucial part when she tended his wound. Somehow, it was deadlier than it looked. "Hook, I'm not faking this, but you look- unbelievably pale, are you sure you're okay?"

"Actually, I just remembered Felix's bow has poison on it." He explained with a sly grin on his face. "I should've killed him when I could."

Emma glared at him in annoyance, "And you're not going to do anything about it?"

"Should I? I have a body of a pirate, love."

Emma rolled her eyes at the cheeky answer from Hook, he is always too confident about his strength as a pirate. "A pirate can meet its break down in anytime."

"But it's not of our concern right now." He said, "Can we just, appreciate this book for a moment?"

She felt anger rushed through her body, though she didn't even understand why . "This book is _not _important !" Emma closed the book and took it with her, heading for the door going out the hut. "It is not going to make us find Henry any soon nor fix our problem now."

He turned his head to one side but kept his eyes on her, "Where are you going? Any chance you are going to abandon me again for a headstart?" He queried, his voice fumed with fury.

Emma turned her head to meet his eyes. She looked at it for a moment before words flew down from her mouth. "I need a headstart, yes."

She slipped the book into her shoulder bag before she continued, "But it doesn't mean that I have to abandon you. I will find a remedy for you, after that, we will part our ways."

"Oh Swan, you are so fullof yourself, aren't you?" A sneer touched the corners of his lips, "Just because you're the savior, the _hero, _you think you know everything and no one could harm you in any way?"

Emma stood frozen, her breath caught in the middle, but she was glad Hook didn't find out the truth. The truth why she wanted to part with him. She couldn't take the chance that she's wrong about him. It would be too hurtful if the same thing with Neal happens for the second time. "You have your book, so you don't have to follow me around, pretending to find Henry but all you can think is this freaking book."

A shadow fell across his eyes as he saw the lit of fire in her eyes, "Try something really new, darling. It's called faith." He said.

She scoffed at his respond, not believing how a pirate would say something like that to anyone. "Why would the notorious Captain Hook suddenly give up his revenge and act goody-goody with others?" she said incredulously.

"The reason I went back to Storybrooke is to do something for other people." His face hardened, wanting to say more than words but decided against it.

Emma's gaze settled on him, lacking of patience. Her inner morals were battling, arguing if she should trust his words, but somehow she still couldn't get herself to believe the guy in front of her. She turned her way back to held the door knob, "All I want is the truth, Hook."

"Emma, look at me." He demanded but not too pushy. She turned her heels back to facing the injured pirate in the middle of the room.

A slowness overcame his voice as she gazed to him reluctantly, "You know I'm telling you the truth." He said, "Maybe this constant pursue for revenge is the reason no one cares for us." He was really tired of people not trusting him because the pirate thing.

"Because all this time, other than my vendetta, I don't feel anything but… empty." He said with a lowered voice.

Emma knew he's telling the truth, of course she already knew it from the beginning. There's not a single reason told by her superpower it's otherwise. But she found it hard to find someone could really open up to her when she clearly couldn't.

Her mouth slightly gaped, contemplating the words in her head. All the pain from her past that she had buried deep down in the darkest part of her heart, the one that she had done her absolute best to run away from, they opened in an instant. She felt the exact feeling she had when she was five and alone in the program. The time when she had no idea who or where her parents were. The time when all of the friends and family she made in the program were wanted by other families. Everyone, but her.

"That's not the only reason," her voice wavered as she tried to shake off the memory. "Believe me, it's not."

A flashback strained across her mind. The best moment of her life, with the first person she has ever truly loved before. Neal was the best thing that happened to her. The person who taught her how to love and trust someone. Yet at the end of the day, he was also one of the worst thing that ever happened in her life. What if the same thing happened again?

Emma felt her wall slowly began to fall apart, although she always guards it well if somehow it happened. She couldn't help but felt Hook is just the same like her. An unwanted soul.

"Then, what about you, Emma? The look in your eyes, it's the same look like I see in the Lost Boys' eyes." He deducted with certainty.

"That's not of your concern—"

Before Emma could even finish her words, Hook wobbled, his body growing debilitated. His right leg began to weaken, and shadows kept drifting through his vision. He leaned on the wall beside him, closing his eyes as he hazily heard Emma shouting his name.

Hook tried with all the power he had to stand up, and he felt himself slowly falling down. A small but strong hand caught him, mid-fall. Emma. She looked over his right shoulder, blood freshly streamed down from the wound because its deepness.

"We need to find something to clean your wound and cure the poison." Emma swiftly left the hut, with Hook hobbling on her hand.

"There's a pond… behind this." Hook pointed at the back door of the hut. Emma strengthen her grip on Hook and brought him to the back of the hut.

The pond looked mostly shabby, but it didn't matter to her. The only thing on her mind was to keep Hook alive. She didn't feel accustomed with the feeling since the last guy she really cared about was ten years ago—besides Henry, of course. Emma moved away from Hook and leaned him on a tree, "Thanks, lass. But you need a head start and I can take care of myself."

"Not with you dying here." Emma muttered with a flat tone, covering the truth that she truly cares about him.

Emma pulled out her mother's handkerchief that she gave her before they sailed and she sunk it in the cold water of the pond. After it's all wet, she went to Hook and ripped the torn fabric off his shoulder. She wiped the blood gently from his shoulder as he whimpered in between. "The poison still remains, though."

"We will find the remedy." Emma assured him.

Hook gave her another sly smirk while withstanding the pain, "or we should find Henry first."

Emma was stunned for a moment, how could she had forgotten the main reason she was there. She could just left him here bleeding to death, but instead she remained here and was searching for a pirate's remedy. Someone who's can't be trusted by anyone.

"But I won't find him with a dying pirate in my company, right?"

Hook drew in a long breath and let it hiss out slowly, "Too right, lass." He was silently glad she's still let him to be her companion. "Is there any chance I could be a little more than a companion, miss Swan?" He teased, forcing a grin as he twisted his head to Emma's green eyes.

She cocked her head to one side and gave him a stare, "You're the kind of guy who would not easily despair, aren't you?"

"Considering that I've spent three hundred years for wanting revenge to crocodile, I conclude myself it is." He muttered softly while Emma continued cleaning the fresh wound, "and besides, I love a challenge."

She took an unused fabric from the hut and use it to bandage his wound. "Did any of it remembering you of something?" Hook asked under his breath.

"The beanstalk?" Emma responded, with a sincere smile on her face that Hook always wanted to see.

A satisfied smile placed on his lips. He didn't think Emma would remember any of their moment in Enchanted Forest, which is still planted on his mind. "Yeah, you never forget your first."

Emma helped him stood up, and they looked at each other before one of them could speak a word. They couldn't deny that they had a connection between each other as the kindred spirits. But Emma still has to remind herself, if she is ready to take a chance to have faith in somebody she thinks she already knew well.


End file.
